


Ep Coda 2x16: The Truth Is Out There...In The Middle Of The Pacific

by Huntress69



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: (Brief) Angst, Episode Related, First Time, Humor, M/M, Top!Steve/Bottom!Steve (Because he's just so fucking flexible)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-21
Updated: 2013-03-21
Packaged: 2017-12-06 00:52:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/729792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress69/pseuds/Huntress69
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Danny have conversations while Steve is on reserve duty - first over the phone and then with Skype - and come to a few conclusions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ep Coda 2x16: The Truth Is Out There...In The Middle Of The Pacific

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know squat about life on a ship, so I am winging it, based on what I have seen in the movies. I know I could look it up, and that there are folks I could ask, but I opted to allow my imagination to run free. The same goes for rules/regs.

**Disclaimer: Danny belongs to Steve and I dare you to challenge the SEAL on ownership rights.**

**************

When Steve McGarrett received the call that he was due for reserve duty, he leaped at the chance; he so needed this time aboard the Enterprise to clear his head a tiny bit.

Lori's abrupt departure had stunned him, to say the least. Steve had been blind (no surprise there) to her feelings for him. He was so involved with his job, as always, that he tamped down his emotions while on duty out of habit. And you **NEVER** get romantically involved with those on your team - it invariably leads to disaster, and Steve knew that all too well; he had learned his lesson the hard way when he was given command of his first SEAL team. That was the main reason he and Nick Taylor didn't last together.

This rule was broken by Steve only once when he contemplated taking Jenna as a lover, and after a romantic dinner they began a make-out session on Steve's couch. That lasted a whole three minutes before they both admitted it was like kissing a sibling and opted to remain friends. God, he missed her sometimes and if she would have lived, he would have forgiven her and even offered her a place on the team; he had learned that sometimes, to save the ones you care about, you do whatever it takes.

He knew Five-0 was in good hands while he was gone, as long as Danny didn't antagonize Denning. Steve had left orders with Chin and Kono that Danny was not permitted to attend any meetings with the Governor alone, or they would feel his ire when he returned.

Steve laughed to himself as he thought of his partner. Knowing Danny, he'd have a free-for-all with requisitions (again), but Steve didn't mind, not really. After a one week trip to DC, Steve came back to find a (full-sized) Galaga arcade game in the corner of his office; Danny had Pac-Man, Chin had Donkey Kong, and Kono, of course, had Mortal Kombat. He was still trying to figure out how Danny got those approved when Steve couldn't get the okay for a simple gas card. And after a vacation to visit Mary Ann in Los Angeles? Steve entered the office to find part of it had been renovated into a kitchen. He was ready to have it demolished when his partner exited the new addition with a pan of lasagna - the kitchen got to stay.

He was so involved with his thoughts that he nearly walked right by his quarters; he opened the door and tossed his duffel on the bunk. He had adjoining quarters with a Lieutenant named Jason Fedderman, and Steve hoped the man wasn't the overly friendly type. He wanted to spend his reserve duty away from officers (with the exception of Catherine); his last tour had included both working and bunking with the enlisted personnel, and he'd had an ass-kicking time - once they got past the paranoia of having an officer in their midst. But this time he was assigned what he called "Officers Digs" and he hated them as much now as he did when he was younger. 

He went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face, staring into the mirror and wondered what Danny was doing at that moment. If he were home, they would have left work early together, picked up Grace from school and spent the rest of the day together; having dinner, watching TV and going swimming.

Exiting the bathroom Steve began to unpack his duffel, and he was jolted out of his thoughts by a knock on the adjoining door. Steve opened it, meeting Fedderman, the two nodding to each other. He was younger than Steve, with sandy-brown hair and brown eyes, and he flashed a bright and toothy smile.

Fedderman asked him a few questions - where was he from ("Hawaii"); what did he do now in civilian life (Steve had to think for a second, before replying, "Cop"); where had he served in the past ("It's classified") - the questions came at him like wildfire, and Steve answered each one short and curt as he continued to unpack. Steve knew he should be friendly, and ask his own questions, but he wasn't in the mood at that moment. Fedderman paused when he saw the brightly wrapped package Steve removed from his duffel. "From your girlfriend?"

"From Grace." Steve read the card and tore open the paper like a kid at Christmas, and inside he found two photos in popsicle frames. One was of the three of them wearing big grins at her 10th birthday party. Steve and Danny were covered in cake thanks to Kono showing Stan some whacked-out martial arts move; Stan had stumbled into the table where the cake was, Steve and Danny tried to save it and instead they fell face first into it. The second photo Steve looked upon rather fondly - Danny and he on the night Danny received his promotion to Lieutenant. The task force had all chipped in and bought Danny a Hugo Boss suit (with a shirt) and a new silk tie for the occasion, and Danny had looked amazing. 

Fedderman looked over Steve's shoulder. "And that is?" he prompted.

"He's my partner," Steve explained, "and that's Gracie, she's 10 now." As if on cue his cell went off, the sound of Taylor Swift filling the room. He shrugged. "She programmed it in, and who am I to argue with her?" He answered the call with a grin. "Aloha `auinala, keiki."

 _"Good afternoon to you, too, Commander, sir,"_ Grace paused, _"and did you like your going away present?"_ Her smile was apparent, even over the phone.

"Mahalo," Steve replied, "Aloha au Ia 'oe."

 _"I love you, too,"_ she sniffled a little. _"Ho`i mai, wikiwiki."_

"I'll be home as fast as I can, I promise, and you have to take care of Danno and keep him out of trouble." Steve laughed a little. "Make him take you to the beach."

 _"Not a problem because we're already staying in your house,"_ Grace giggled again, which warmed Steve's heart - and then her words registered with his brain. 

"You're where?"

 _"Hey, Steve,"_ Danny sounded quite happy, _"well, since Grace got to speak with you, we're going now and...."_

"Daniel Adam Williams," Steve used his most threatening tone, "I better have heard Grace wrong."

This was a verbal game for them; Steve was well aware Danny had never been intimidated by him. _"Aww, c'mon, Steve, you're not here and I have Grace for an extra couple of days, and I really didn't think you'd mind."_

"You don't like your new apartment, do you?" Steve already knew the answer, so he continued on. "Are you going to make sure the dishes are done? And the bathrooms kept spic-n-span?" He was trying to keep a straight face, he really was. "If I see a ring around the bathtub...."

 _"Of course, I promise, and, uh...."_ Danny paused.

"What, Danno?"

 _"Nou no ka `i`ini"_ ," Danny added, _"me ke aloha pumehana."_

"I desire you, too, Detective," Steve was laughing again, "and yes, with the warmth of my love as well."

 _"Is that what I just said to you, Steve?"_ Danny's voice cracked. _"Oh God, I did, because Grace, who is quite well-versed in Hawaiian, is turning all shades of red and now she's running out of the room and channeling Kono, giggling like a madwoman."_ He paused for a moment. _"I swear I'm letting them spend too much time together."_

"Speaking of Kono, she didn't by any chance teach you those phrases, did she, Danno?" 

_"You know she did,"_ Danny growled, _"and I am firing her first thing tomorrow."_

"Tomorrow's Saturday, Danny."

 _"Then I pink slip her first thing Monday - **after** she makes the coffee."_

There was silence for a moment.

"Danno - Danny, you still there?" 

_"Yeah, I am, GI Joe, and I..."_ Danny's voice broke for a moment, _"...I miss you already, Steve."_

Steve could hear all the emotion behind that tone. "Me too, and by the way, the popsicle frames?" He hoped a little levity would cheer his partner up. "Pretty cool, and thanks for using blue and green glitter; I don't think I could have coped with pink and yellow. My eyeballs would have melted."

_"You owe me a bottle of Pepto for all the ice cream bars I had to eat so Grace and I could make those frames."_

"Yes, Danny, I know it was a chore for you to eat God knows how many Good Humor 'Strawberry Shortcake' and 'Chocolate Eclair' bars." 

_"Oh, one more thing, Steve, and Grace forgot to tell you: `ai maika`i 'aina kakahiaka."_

"I'm impressed with your pronunciations, and I promise to eat a good breakfast every day, babe." Steve waited for Danny to make a smarmy remark about his use of Danny's pseudo-endearment, but one was not forthcoming. "I'll see you soon, Danno."

_"Be safe, Steven."_

"I will, I give you my word."

They spoke for a few more minutes, and then both hung up at the same time, knowing that if each waited for the other to end it, the call would have gone on forever and a day.

It was only afterwards, when Steve replayed part of the conversation in his head, that he realized Danny had mentioned "he and Grace" had made the frames - that made the gift all the more special. Steve picked up the photo of the two of them and traced a finger around it. That evening had been a lot of fun and he had made it a point to tell Danny more than once that on this particular evening, Steve looked like the waiter, and Danny, James Bond. 

"Your kid is staying with your partner?" Fedderman asked.

Steve was startled out of his thoughts; he had forgotten the other man was there. "She's Danny's and she's the sweetest kid ever."

"How long have you guys been together?"

"Almost two years." Steve showed him the photo of them. "Danny was promoted to Lieutenant that night; youngest Lieutenant in any police department in the United States ever."

Fedderman looked Steve over. "Never been apart?" 

"Once, when I went to North...never mind, it's classified."

"If you want some company...." Fedderman let his sentence trail off.

Steve was totally oblivious and didn't even realize he was being sized up. Not only did he not pay full attention to the question and his own response about him and Danny, but he was so accustomed to people assuming they were **together** that the subtle proposition went right over his head. "Maybe; I'll let you know."

"You do that, Steve, and I'll see you around." Fedderman walked out.

Steve finished putting his things away and headed to find some food - he was starving. It took him a little while to find the mess hall, and he spotted Catherine sitting by herself. He grabbed a plate and loaded it with food, and took a seat beside her. 

"Where's your usual salad?" Catherine eyed his plate, piled high with a few slices of meatloaf and mashed potatoes drowned in gravy. "No vegetables?"

"I'm hungry, and Danny says I eat well enough that not having a green vegetable once in a while is okay." Steve began to wolf down his food. "Not bad; not as good as Danny's meatloaf, he adds chopped onions and parsley, but this is still edible."

"Since when does Danny cook for you?" 

Steve shrugged. "Half the time we work so late he crashes at my place, and he cooks for me to pay me back." He grinned as he swallowed two chunks of the meat. "He gets recipes from his mom, she's an awesome cook."

Catherine just smiled, digging into her salad. They made small talk as they ate and when they were done, she nodded to the desserts. "They have Jell-o, your favorite."

They walked over and she took a bowl of cherry, handing him a bowl of pineapple, but Steve shook his head and picked up a slice of cheesecake. 

"Cheesecake?"

"It makes me think of Gracie; she and I baked one last weekend." Steve stared at the tasty treat and sighed happily. "We made a mess in the kitchen, and Danny got a little pissed because we had to get cleaned up a second time before we went to dinner, but I just stuffed a piece in his mouth and he shut up."

"That's...nice, Steve." Once finished, they stood and she gave him a coy smile. "How about we go to my quarters and...."

"No can do tonight." Steve took a camera out of his shirt pocket. "Gracie went to the planetarium last week and I promised her I'd take some photos of the stars from wherever I was and upload them to her every night."

Catherine wondered why he didn't ask her to join him, but let it go. "All right then; I'll see you at breakfast?"

"You got it, Cath." He kissed her on the cheek. "Good night."

"Good night, Steve." She stared after him, wondering what was going on, but tossed any thoughts from her mind. He was just doing something nice for Grace.

Steve went out on the deck and was thankful he had taken an interest in astronomy years before; it had become something of a hobby for him and he was pleased to be able to share that hobby with Grace. He took a dozen clear photos of both Ursa Major and Minor, returned to his quarters and sent them off to her. She would be thrilled in the morning when she opened her email.

And with thoughts of Grace and her bright smile in his head, Steve fell asleep with his own smile, knowing he would have good dreams that night.

**~~~~~~~~**

Catherine came to get Steve for breakfast the next morning and upon entering the mess grabbed a fruit bar and a container of milk. She wandered to a table and sat, but Steve wasn't behind her. She turned her head, seeing Steve holding two trays. Catherine found that a bit odd, because Steve's breakfasts mainly consisted of a bowl of Wheaties and/or a protein shake.

When Steve returned he had three plates of food on one tray: 1 had a large stack of pancakes, 1 was piled high with eggs, bacon, sausage links and hash browns, and the 3rd plate had cups of butter, syrup and jelly; the second tray held a coffee mug and an entire pot of coffee.

"Steve, you do realize that's not decaf, right?"

"Decaf is for wimps, Danny said so, and I am no wimp." Steve smiled. "I promised him I'd eat a good breakfast every day and believe me, he'll know if I don't - he always knows these things." He spread the butter all over his pancakes, drowned them in syrup, and ate a forkful. "Not as good as Danny's, but he makes them with blueberries for me." He began to shovel the food into his mouth, and had gulps of coffee in between. "The Navy really needs to invest in decent coffee; French Roast or maybe even Jamaican Blue Mountain."

Catherine was surprised at that. "You know coffee now? I thought you were a tea addict."

"I was," Steve shrugged, "but when Danny was living with me he had a lot of different beans, so I learned." He squirted ketchup all over his eggs before he ate them, and dipped the sausage links in the syrup. "Gracie says you're supposed to eat sausage this way."

Catherine felt her own stomach churning as she watched him eat. And the coffee - Steve put away three mugs, filled a coffee urn and took it with him to the bridge to speak with the Captain and find out what his duties were this time around.

Steve managed to con the Captain into allowing him to work with the enlisted personnel. Yes, once again some were a little nervous as he was an officer, but the ones who had grown to know Steve were pretty happy to see him. 

Within 10 minutes work was forgotten and a poker game was under way.

By the end of his day, Steve was worn down (and out $60) and since Catherine was on duty, he ate dinner by himself (a turkey sandwich, 2 corns on the cob, a yam, and four helpings of stuffing) and polished off his meal with a piece of strawberry shortcake. He then headed to his quarters, read three chapters of the first Twilight book (he'd thank Grace for the book recommendation when he saw her) decided he didn't like Bella Swan (but Jacob was kind of cool), and finally shut off the light, closed his eyes and attempted to sleep. 

Two hours of tossing and turning later, he took out his satellite phone (and yes, Chin did have awesome ideas) and called Danny.

 _"I don't do hostages this time of night,"_ came the sleepy voice over the phone. _"Call HPD SWAT or Officer Kalakaua, 537-3581."_

"Hey, Danno."

_"Steven, why are you calling me at...one in the morning? What's the matter?"_

"I'm sorry, Danny, I forgot about the time difference. I just...." The words sort of got lost between Steve's brain and his mouth. "I just wanted to talk. But you can go back to sleep."

_"No, awake, so talk."_

"I'm lonely," Steve said quietly.

_"Steve, there are 3000 people on that ship and you're lonely?"_

"More than that," Steve murmured to himself, ignoring the question. "What did you do today?"

Danny was wide awake now. _"Grace gave me a lesson on the constellations thanks to you, and Stan and I tossed a football with her in the park."_

"You and Stan?" Steve chuckled. "So you're buddies now?"

 _"We ran into each other there; he brings Charlie to the park to give Rachel a break. The kid seemed to like the football - he tried to gnaw on it."_ Danny started to laugh. _"Stan panicked, but I explained that whenever she got a hold of it, pigskin was one of Grace's favorite teething toys."_

"I ate a full breakfast, Danny; you would have been happy. But the ship's coffee sucks." 

_"And dinner?"_

"Balanced, but not too balanced, I swear. And did you speak with Kono?"

 _"I did, and she apologized for what she taught me, and said that the proper words for me to say are 'Ko aloha makamae e ipo'."_ Danny sounded satisfied. _"According to her, I needed to tell you that."_

"Thanks, sweetheart," Steve was laughing, "and you're precious to me also." 

Danny growled.

"Oh, baby, is that growl for me?"

 _"I hate you both; I hate Hawaii; I hate everything right now."_ Danny paused. _"Well, not everything; I like your flat screen."_

"My flat...Danny, are you in my bed?"

_"It's comfy?"_

"Where's Grace?"

_"Downstairs; she says the ocean sounds help her to sleep. Hawaii has corrupted my daughter."_

"How's the car?"

_" **My** car is fine, thank you very much, although it took a few minutes to get the driver's side seat and air vents proper for me."_

"Don't get too used to driving, Danno. I'll be home soon enough."

_"You think you can sleep now, Steve?"_

"Yeah, I think I can."

_"G'night, and uh, talk again tomorrow?"_

"Definitely and good night to you, too, Danno."

They both hung up and five minutes later Steve was finally able to sleep.

**~~~~~~~~**

Steve spent all of day three learning about the upgraded radar systems (and bored senseless), ate a PB&J for dinner, returned to his quarters, sent his nightly email to Grace, plus one to Danny, explaining that he was too tired to talk; he pretty much passed out by 9:30.

**~~~~~~~~**

Day four on the Enterprise found Steve and his OCD working hand-in-hand as he literally whistled while he worked...scrubbing the gun turrets. He caused quite a few accidents amongst various personnel when he pulled his shirt off, and when he poured a bucket of water over his head to cool off, an Ensign fell overboard.

Five and six were days with new recruits and Steve was (secretly) gleeful as he scared the shit out of them during aerial training exercises. It had been a while since he had been in a cockpit, but it all came back to him. 

Steve barely saw or spoke with Catherine in all that time; she was busy with her own duties.

At the end of day seven Steve was exhausted and fell onto his bed at 10:15. He had just fallen asleep when his cell phone went off and he was surprised the signal came through, considering he was on a ship in the middle of nowhere; yes he had reached Cath on more than one occasion, but many times there was no cell signal available. He knew it was Danny the moment he heard the opening bars of "Born To Run", his current 'Danny ringtone'. "Hey, partner."

_"Don't you 'hey, partner' me! Where the hell have you been? I haven't heard from you in four days!"_

"I was busy doing my, uh, SEAL-thing?"

_"Too busy to even send an email? Do you know how worried Grace was? She's been looking forward to her photos!"_

Steve knew all too well that Grace wasn't the one who had been concerned; he had explained to her before he left that sometimes he might not be able to keep in touch and she had understood. But as for Danny....

_"Steve?"_

"I'm sorry, Danno; really I am."

_"I will forgive you this one time, Steven, but not again. Is that clear?"_

"Yes sir!"

 _"Good."_ Danny took a deep breath and let it out. _"We got a break in the Dorsett murder. It was his stepson and we arrested him this afternoon. The kid broke down and confessed, and he's locked up."_

"Yet another closed case under your belt, Lieutenant Williams," Steve grinned. "That makes what, 247 homicides?"

 _"315,"_ Danny laughed, _"versus your total of 3."_

"I'm sooo jealous," Steve teased. "Are you still staying at the house?"

_"Yeah, and Grace is also; Stan convinced Rachel I needed more time with her, especially after what happened with Petersen."_

"Is she doing okay, Danno?"

_"As best she can. She still won't ride the bus to school and the only ones that can pick her up are me and the team, Rachel, Stan, and oddly enough, Kamekona. The nanny tried to pick her up yesterday and Grace refused to leave with her."_

"Time will take care of this," Steve reassured him. "You try a shrink again?"

 _"This one lasted 15 minutes before Grace walked out, so we have given up on that for now."_

Steve could hear the exasperation in Danny's tone so he changed the subject quickly. "Since you are still in my house, and watching my TV, have you watched anything on Pay Per View?"

 _"Pay Per View?"_ Danny hesitated. _"Uh, I...I...."_

"You rented porn, didn't you?"

_"No, of course not."_

"You do know the cable company itemizes everything on my bill."

 _"They do?"_ Danny's voice went up an octave as he thought about the films he had rented. He'd make sure to go to the cable company, pay for them, and then have Toast hack into their system and wipe the titles from Steve's bill.

"Go into my closet, top shelf, right hand side; I have a nice collection there."

 _"It's all soft-core!"_ Danny blurted.

"You rifled my closet?" Steve had to bite back a loud laugh.

_"No, I chased a bug and the damn DVD collection fell on my head."_

"Other than the hard core films you rented, and I hope they were worth the money, what else have you watched?"

 _"'Navy SEALs', and it was Grace's idea,"_ Danny told him, _"and when you come home, she says she wants to watch with you, so you can clarify everything for her."_

"I miss the Camaro."

_"I've been driving your truck."_

"Ask me if I care, Danno."

_"Do you care, Steven?"_

"No; you let me drive your car, why should I mind you driving my truck?"

_"AHA! So you admit it's **my** car!"_

"I never said it wasn't." Steve allowed a few seconds of quiet. "Although I was the one who added Sirius and new speakers."

 _"Call me tomorrow, Steve?"_ Danny said quietly, all pretense of mock argument gone.

"I will, I promise."

_"And don't forget about Grace's pictures."_

"I was just on my way to the deck; there'll be an email in the morning."

_"I...we miss you."_

"Same here, Danno, and before we say good-bye, any more Hawaiian for me?"

 _"A hui hou kākou, Steve."_ Danny ended the call.

Steve stared at the phone. "Until we meet again, Danny," he murmured, repeating the words in English. Kono hadn't taught him that phrase; Steve somehow knew that. This meant Danny had learned it on his own. 

With renewed energy, Steve dragged his tired self out of bed, took photos of Pegasus which was crystal clear in the night sky, plus a few photos of the full moon, uploaded them and hit the sack.

**~~~~~~~~**

On day eight, the Captain told (well, ordered) Steve to take the day and relax; he'd been non-stop since he came on board. Steve got changed into his sweats, his intention to head to the gym, but before he did, he wandered out to a remote section of the deck, staring into the waves. It was Friday and he wished he were home, because he would have spent the afternoon with Danny and Grace - which always led to the entire weekend with them.

_They would pick Grace up at school, followed by dinner at 'Monster Burger', Grace's favorite place to eat. Steve would complain about how unhealthy the food was - while he ate a one-pound sirloin burger with every topping imaginable and some cheese fries - and then Danny would drop Steve off at his house. Within one hour the Williams' would return, because Grace always insisted Steve had to have a proper dessert, which meant going back out for ice cream._

_They would invariably end up back at Steve's, going for a late swim, while Steve and Grace laughed at Danny's complaints about Hawaii; the bitching was just for show these days and Steve knew it._

_Danny was **finally** adjusting to life on the island and nobody was happier than Steve, because the more Danny grew comfortable there, the odds lessened that he would ever leave. He had gotten rid of the daily tie, now owned a pair of flip-flops and had taken to wearing shorts on the week-ends. Grace would purposely whine about going back to Danny's new place, because if they stayed at Steve's, she could go surfing with him first thing in the morning, and Danny always gave in. Grace would go to sleep in the bedroom Steve had cleaned out for her, and he and Danny would watch a movie, and then Danny would crash on the couch...._

"STEVE!"

Steve jumped at the shout, turning to see Jason Fedderman laughing at him. 

"You were elsewhere, man."

"Thinking about home." Steve turned and casually leaned against the deck frame. "What do you need?"

"Absolutely nothing." Jason took the exact same stance beside him, keeping it casual on the outside chance he was reading Steve wrong. "I thought you might want to hang for a while, being next-door neighbors and all. We've been on opposite schedules; I come off duty, you go on."

Steve gave Jason own once over, making it clear he got the message. "What do you want to do?" 

"Before I tell you, will your partner get upset?"

"Partner?" **Now** Steve got it. "Danny's my work partner, not my...life partner, significant other, boyfriend - whatever's politically correct these days." It had been a while since he felt the urge to be with a man, and Jason was perfect. There would be nothing concrete, just a brief fling for the remainder of his stay, and they both knew it. There was Catherine, but she had known about his bisexuality (and Nick), and they had always just been friends-with-benefits. She couldn't possibly have any objections if he were to....

"Hey - Steve - you're floating away in thought again."

"I didn't realize." Steve took a moment to think before he agreed to anything. "Jason, is this going to cause you any problems?"

"No," the younger man smiled at Steve, "at least I don't think so. I don't keep myself a secret, but I also don't flaunt it, and I haven't gotten any shit about it. You?"

"I'm a SEAL; nobody here is going to give me any shit about it either," Steve paused and smirked, "not unless they'd like their spleen torn out."

"Then how about we, uh, head to our adjoining quarters?"

"I think I'd like that." 

The two men were casual as they passed other crew, but once they entered Steve's quarters and the door closed, Steve was all over him. He didn't want foreplay, he wanted sex - he wanted to fuck Jason Fedderman through the mattress. Steve managed to get Jason's shirt off and had him half-reclined on the bed...and then Taylor Swift blared throughout the room. He pulled back, licking his lips. "Gracie - I have to take it." He picked up his phone and shrugged. "To be continued?"

"Oh hell yeah." Fedderman leered at him and opened the adjoining door to his own quarters. "I'll leave you to your privacy, and you know where to find me." 

Steve waved him off as he answered the call. "Hey, kiddo."

_"`Anakala Steve, I wanna go out on my board, but Danno says no."_

"Put him on the phone and let me handle it."

 _"I'm sorry she called you, Steve,"_ Danny said apologetically. _"We know you're busy and...."_

"I'm never too busy for Grace - or you. Now, what's this I hear about you not letting her surf? I thought you were over your paranoia."

_"I am, but I'm not being overly paranoid in saying the waves are a little rough today, that's all."_

"Really, Danno?" Steve asked, a bit skeptical.

_"Okay, I admit it; I don't want her out there without an experienced surfer. I can swim, but if she rides a wave I won't be able to keep up, and if she wipes out...."_

Steve thought for a moment. "I'll make it easy for you, Danny, and it should make Grace happy: Go down to where my beach ends, to the first snack stand. Ask for Eddie, he's a friend, and tell him the problem. He'll go out with her and you can trust him - he's good people."

_"I guess I have no choice, do I?"_

"Not if you want a happy Grace," Steve laughed. "When I come home, I'm going to give you a surfing lesson every day."

 _"We'll see about that."_ Danny paused for a moment. _"The server at 'Monster Burger' wanted to know where you were, or, as she put it, "Where's your husband?" Before I got a chance to answer, Grace told her you were away, but you were coming home soon."_

"And what did you say?"

_"I said you'd be home in a week."_

"No shrieking we're not married?"

_"Quit smirking, McGarrett and I was tired; it was a busy day."_

"How do you know I'm smirking?"

_"I'm a parent, and although I may not be yours, we know all. Just like I know you're doing something you shouldn't be, and don't ask me how I know - I just do."_

Steve glanced at the adjoining door. "I promised you I'd behave and I will."

_"Remember, Steven, if you don't, I put a password on the cable box and you don't get to watch 'Game of Thrones'."_

"I get it, Danny."

_"I'll be there to pick you up when you come home; Grace insists."_

"Grace, huh?"

_"Shut up and go perform your SEAL tricks, and stay in one piece."_

"Yes sir, Lieutenant Danno." Steve ended the call and once again cast a glance at the door; for some reason fucking Jason Fedderman all of a sudden seemed wrong, and he didn't know why, only that it was. He knocked and gave the other man a small smile. "I, uh, have to go take care of a few things."

"If you say so," Jason ran his hand down Steve's shirt, ostensibly to straighten it. "I'll be around." 

Steve nodded and went to his original destination, wrapping his hands and going more than a few rounds with a punching bag. Following that, he grabbed a bite to eat and took it to his quarters, popped in season five of 'Bones' and enjoyed a few episodes, wondering if Max and Bones were separated at birth. His phone rang at nine, and the caller ID told him it was Chin; he had yet to come up with a ringtone to identify the man - nothing fit.

They spoke for almost an hour - Chin had his first fight with Malia and was spending the night on Kamekona's couch. They talked football and basketball, and then Chin began to rant about how his favorite TV shows were going down the drain.

Next was a call from Kono, (the ringtone of 'Witchy Woman' was quite apropos, he laughed to himself) who complained about tourists taking over Pipeline and Ala Moana and every other surfing spot she frequented, and the call culminated with her asking him if he missed Danny.

"Yes, I miss him; I miss you all."

 _"But not like you miss Danny, right boss?"_

"Good-bye, Kono." Once Steve hung up he contemplated those final words. 

He did miss Danny, more than he had missed anyone in almost 20 years. He felt like he was nine again, when his parents had sent him to summer camp - he wanted to go home; he wanted to see Danny. Steve felt there was an empty space inside of him that was filled when they were together. He reasoned that it hurt being apart because he had never had such a close friend.

One thing Steve decided to do was avoid Jason. His inner voice (which sounded like Joe White) told him that sex with Jason Fedderman would be a bad idea - and Steve had learned to listen to the voices in his head. They were usually right.

**~~~~~~~~**

Day nine was spent doing inspections of the enlisted personnel's quarters; the actual inspections took all of five minutes. Somebody mentioned that Steve looked like the guy in the TV show about a vampire detective and they ended up doing a marathon viewing of 'Moonlight'.

Catherine had seen Steve at various meals, but all he talked about were the recent cases Danny was keeping him apprised of, and Grace, and Danny again, followed by a touch of Kono and Chin, a brief mention of Kamekona's new flavors of shrimp, and back to Danny. She gave up asking him back to her quarters, because every time she did, he begged off. She suspected that he was spending time with Fedderman, but kept that to herself. If Steve wanted male company, then so be it. 

They were at dinner on the tenth night when Catherine finally grew fed up about the constant mention of Danny; Steve had it bad and was, as usual, oblivious when it came to matters of the heart. "Why don't you just Skype him?" she suggested.

Steve looked perplexed. "What?" 

"Skype. Steve, you do know what that is, right?"

"My laptop doesn't have a webcam," he sighed heavily.

"Mine does." Catherine purposely paused and smiled as his fork stopped mid-way to his mouth. "And yes, Steve, I will let you use it - after I have finished my dinner."

Steve was squirming around in his seat throughout their meal. He was clearly excited about being able to see Danny, as well as speak with him. He was so antsy that Catherine finally took his coffee away - after Steve had imbibed two large mugs. 

Steve yanked Catherine from her chair the moment she took her final bite of her cherry pie and led the way to her quarters to get the laptop. He then raced her to his quarters so they could get started.

They entered Steve's room and as Catherine went about connecting her laptop, Steve called Danny on his phone.

 _"Its midnight, McGarrett,"_ Danny groused, _"and why are you calling so late again? Are we at war?"_

"Catherine's going to set us up on Skype; she's got a webcam. You need to turn on the computer and...."

_"I know what it is, Steve; I use Skype to talk to my family all the time."_

"Then you're not as computer illiterate as you seem?" Steve teased, thinking of Danny using the "Hello Kitty" laptop.

_"I never said I was; you just assumed that, just like you assumed I couldn't swim. I've got a college degree, in case you didn't know."_

Steve sat down on the bed, staring at the phone. No, he hadn't known that about Danny; he thought - no, he **assumed** \- that Danny had gone straight to the academy following high school. "No, I didn't," he admitted, "and I should have." Steve wanted to continue this conversation, but he also wanted to see Danny's face while they spoke. "Danny, I need to take a shower, and by the time I get out, she should have everything set up." Steve handed Catherine the phone so they could set up the connection, and pretty much bounced to the shower, very happy he would get to see Danny's face.

While Steve was in the shower, Catherine installed everything and she and Danny now faced each other online. The two had met numerous times and had developed a mutual respect for one another - in their own unique way, of course. 

_"Hello, Rambette."_

"Howdy, Danno," she teased.

_"You don't get to call me that."_

"Do I get to call you Shorty?"

 _"That's it; I don't think I like you anymore."_

"My luck is changing for the better," she shot back, turning her head as the water went off, then turning back to face Danny again. "Danny, he misses you and Grace terribly," she whispered. "The two of you are almost all he talks about."

 _"What?"_ Danny was clearly confused. _"Why would he talk about us?"_

"Running Ops missions was his life; his SEAL team were his family," she replied with a slight frown. "He's never had to leave family behind; he's never had anybody to miss before."

Danny clearly understood. _"We miss him, too. I have nobody to fight with, hang out with or even talk to. Dinner has been boring as all hell."_

"God, everybody is right; you are married," Catherine murmured under her breath.

 _"What was that?"_ Danny asked. _"I didn't hear you."_

"Nothing, Danny." She turned around. "And here's Steve." She stood up, so Steve could sit. "He's all yours, McGarrett; your very own short and dorky haole."

 _"Fuck you very much, Lieutenant Rollins,"_ Danny sneered.

"Right back atcha, Danno," Catherine stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes. 

As for Steve, he had eyes only for the man facing him on the screen. "There you are!" He shouted, happier than he had been in 10 days. 

_"Yes, here I am, and thank you very much for waking me up again."_ Danny tried to sound angry, but his face belied his tone. _"Don't you ever check the time zone?"_

"Danny," Steve lowered his voice. "It's good to see you."

Catherine chose that moment to silently leave the room; once Steve saw Danny on the monitor, it was like she didn't exist. She chuckled to herself as she shut the door on her way out. "Steve and Danny," she whispered to herself, "who would have thought it."

Danny stared at Steve, almost with contempt. _"Even in the middle of the Pacific you find a way to take off your shirt."_

"I didn't take it off." Steve looked himself over. "I just got out of the shower and I'm wearing sweat pants."

_"You're still shirtless."_

"And this means what?" Steve leaned forward. "Do you like it when I take off my shirt?"

_"No, I find it...no."_

"You forget I can see you and you're blushing."

_"No I'm not; it's your monitor."_

"If you say so." 

_"Yes, I say so."_ Danny tried hard not to smile, but failed. _"Maybe...a little."_

Steve couldn't resist teasing his partner. "Maybe you're blushing a little or maybe you like it - a little - when I take off my shirt?" And SHIT! Did he just openly flirt with Danny? 

Danny ducked his head for a moment, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks. _"I plead the fifth."_

Steve thought maybe his teasing had gone too far, so he opted to lighten the mood by more teasing, but of a more humorous nature. He purposely gawked at the screen and tilted his head, as if studying Danny. "God, Danno, you have the worst case of bed head I've ever seen; no wonder you use so much fucking gel."

Danny slowly raised his eyes, seeing mirth within Steve's. _"Did you call to mock me, McGarrett?"_ He narrowed his eyes maliciously. _"Be nice and I don't tell Chin and Kono you own a dildo."_

"You went through my drawers also, Danny?" Steve found it amusing. "Did you fondle my underwear, too?"

 _"I was out of clean socks, okay? And there it was, in all its baby blue glory."_ Danny was chewing on his lower lip. _"Steve, I didn't know that you...."_

"I should have told you," Steve frowned a little, "and I should have known you had a college degree."

 _"You're forgiven, and just for the record, I don't care if you go for men and women. And Steve,"_ Danny pursed his lips and glared at his partner, _"no more secrets."_

"No more secrets, Danno," Steve agreed. "Scout's honor."

Danny thought about what Catherine had said, about how Steve not only missed him, but Grace also. _"Grace has an assignment due in three weeks; it's every parent's nightmare."_

Steve perked up at that. "What is it?"

 _"I'm sure you'll love working on it with her."_ Danny grinned. _"She has to build a volcano."_

"Really?!" Steve matched his grin. "I loved doing those; I made one in 8th grade, but I mixed too much of the catalyst in and there was a mini-explosion in the Chem lab." As an afterthought, he added, "But nobody got hurt."

 _"You did, didn't you?"_ Danny couldn't help laughing. _"I have no problem picturing it - then or now."_

"It was the coolest thing, and my father was pissed that I got suspended for three days and grounded me, but Mom...." Steve's voice trailed off and he blinked a few times. "I'd love to work on it with Grace."

 _"Just remember she's a 5th grader."_ Danny took a breath before he asked his next question. _"What did your mother do?"_ He hoped he got a response; Steve usually closed off when it came to speaking about his mother.

Steve smiled in a way Danny had never seen before. "She was proud, said I showed promise to maybe grow up to be a scientist and save the world, and while Dad was at work, she un-grounded me, and let me go surfing and to the movies." He turned his head away.

Danny hated when Steve did this - shutting down when he didn't want to talk about something. _"Steve, if you ask Grace, she'd say you've saved the world."_ Danny knew that would get Steve's attention, and once Steve was looking at him again, Danny gave him a caring smile, before adding, _"With my help of course."_

Steve turned away again, but before Danny could say anything he turned back. "I miss Jenna," he said, voice just above a whisper. 

_"I know, babe,"_ Danny soothed, wishing he could reach out and hug his friend. Steve looked like he needed to be held and comforted, a rare sight; Danny hadn't seen it since Grace had been kidnapped. _"We all do."_

"And Lori left because she had feelings for me," Steve added, studying Danny's face for a reaction, but only seeing the same warm expression. "You knew, didn't you?"

 _"I suspected,"_ Danny admitted, _"but I didn't know for sure. That's why I didn't say anything."_

"I need ice cream," Steve muttered. "Talk tomorrow, Danno? I'm off to search for some comfort food."

_"Fine by me, Steve, just check the time before you call, okay?"_

"I will, and good night, Danny."

_"Good night, Steve."_

The connection was gone a moment later, but Steve stared at the screen for a few minutes, placing his hand against it. "I think I love you, Danny Williams." And yeah, ice cream sounded really good right about now.

**~~~~~~~~**

On Monday, his eleventh day on duty, Steve woke up yearning for his beach and his early morning swim in the ocean. He entered the mess hall with no appetite, but by the time he sat down, his tray held an entire box of Frosted Flakes, a quart of milk and one bowl. 

He ate slowly, sighing in-between bites, thinking about Danny. Danny's smile, his laugh, his shoulders, hands, hips...his ass - and fuck, Danny had a nice ass. That day they had gone to see the petroglyphs, Danny had shown up in those tight black jeans, his biceps molded against a skin tight white tee...Steve paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth as he felt his cock swelling. 'You've been checking Danny out!' the voice in his head (which today sounded like a cheery Kono) screamed at him. The spoon dropped from his fingers and hit the bowl, splashing milk on his face. 

"What planet are you on?" Catherine asked, taking a seat next to him and wiping his face with a napkin.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Steve returned to his cereal, reading the (now empty) box panel and tearing off part of the cardboard. "Three proofs of purchase and you get a free Tony the Tiger; Grace will like that."

"Grace?" Catherine took a bite of her pancakes.

"Yeah, Grace!" Steve fired back, a little too quickly, stuffing his mouth and purposely crunching louder.

"It’s okay, Steve; I have a stuffed Elmo." She took a sip of her coffee and smiled at him. "What's your schedule today?"

"I have to be on the bridge until dinner." Steve grimaced. "I was actually hoping to take a few more recruits flying."

"Steve," Catherine patted his arm, "it’s not nice to make grown men scream for their lives while you pull aerial stunts, and its rude to smirk when they climb out and vomit on the deck."

"I won't argue," Steve finished his cereal (by tipping the bowl into his mouth like a 10 year old), stood up and picked up his tray, "but it's fun." He cleaned off his tray, grabbed an urn of coffee, gave Catherine a pout and went to the bridge.

**~~~~~~~~**

At 5:45PM Steve was dismissed from the bridge and the moment he entered the corridor he breathed a sigh of relief. The Captain was okay, but the second officer was a pain in the ass; he had made Steve shadow him all day. He decided that tonight would be a sandwich/DVD night for him, and this time he would check the time zone before he called Danny. Steve picked up his pace, nearly colliding with two people in his haste. He grabbed a chicken salad sandwich, a Coke, and a bag of Doritos - Danny's favorite "quickie" meal - and headed to his quarters. As he walked, he thought about his partner some more - the man he was most certainly in love with.

Entering his quarters he put his tray down and checked the time difference with the bridge - he didn't want to wake Danny again - and it was 9PM on O'ahu; they must have crossed a time-zone (or maybe two) on their way back to Pearl. Deciding he could eat later, Steve made his phone call. "Hey, Danno, yes I checked the time and can you please get on Skype so I can see you when we talk?"

 _"Yeah, fine."_ Danny heaved a sigh and ended the call.

Steve stared at the phone, wondering why Danny sounded genuinely angry, and then he sat down and opened the laptop. Once he got Danny on he decided to be blunt. "Danny, are you mad at me?"

 _"No; should I be?"_ Danny narrowed his eyes. _"What did you do, Steven?"_

"Nothing, but when I asked you to talk to me here you sounded....?" Steve shrugged.

 _"I was looking forward to the season 1 finale of 'Lost Girl'; season 2 starts next week, and now, instead of watching, I am being forced to DVR it."_ Danny stood up and walked to the pantry. _"I'll be right back; I need a snack."_

The laptop was on the kitchen table and as Danny dug around for a snack, Steve had a clear view of his...OH GOD! Danny was wearing boxer-briefs. Steve's mouth dropped open as his libido took full notice; he was beginning to salivate and his pants tightened considerably. And when Danny went into the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water, Steve got a nice view of his cock outlined in the crotch area. "Danno, why are you wearing those?"

Danny turned and looked himself over. _"Oops?"_ He quickly sat back down. _"I was lying in bed, that's why, and didn't think about it when I came down. I'm alone here; Grace is with Rachel."_

The thought of Danny in his bed, wearing nothing but those boxer-briefs made Steve whimper. "You're sleeping in my bed like that?"

Danny didn't notice the change in Steve's tone. _"No, I sleep naked,"_ he blurted without thinking. 

"Naked?" Steve's eyes widened and his voice actually cracked; his cock got even harder.

It took a few seconds to register what he'd said, and Danny quickly avoided Steve's eyes. _"I'll buy you new sheets."_

"What? No! No, Danny, I don't want new sheets," Steve clarified, seeing Danny's embarrassment. And now it was his turn to blabber. "I want you naked in my bed." 

_"You want me how?"_ Danny looked up. _"Steve, did you just proposition me?"_ He searched for answers in Steve's eyes.

"Maybe?" Steve felt his throat constrict. "Danny, I...I didn't mean to...I didn't plan on this and I'm sorry."

 _"I don't know what to say,"_ Danny replied honestly.

Steve opened his mouth to respond when there was a knock at his door. "Just a second, Danno." He crossed the room in full view of Danny, opened the door and faced Jason Fedderman. Before Steve could react, Jason backed him against the wall and kissed him. He pushed Jason back and heard the loud and angry hiss from his laptop.

 _"For the first time I'm glad Grace isn't here with me,"_ Danny almost snarled. 

Jason turned and saw annoyance in Danny's eyes, but he was wrong about the emotion there; he didn't know Danny.

But Steve did, and the bright blue was now darker than the norm and they were almost fiery - Danny was ablaze with anger inside and it was all directed at Steve.

 _"She didn't need to see...."_ Danny shook his head in disgust and disconnected his end.

Jason went for another kiss, but Steve held him at arm’s length. "No thanks; I changed my mind."

"I thought your friend Danny was just that, but now I think he's more, or at least he wants to be." Jason leered at him. "Maybe he'd be into a threesome."

"I don't think so." Steve began to grind his teeth. 

Jason made the mistake of picking up the photo of Danny and Steve. "He looks fuckable."

"Put that down." It was a clear warning; Steve was going into pissed-off SEAL mode. "Now."

The photo was placed back on the desk and Jason turned to open the adjoining door, but turned back with a smile; he didn't know when to leave well enough alone. "I bet he gives good head." **That** was the wrong thing to say.

Steve was across the room in a flash, grabbed Jason by the shirt, made a fist and swung it, punching him in the face.

Jason raised his fingers to his nose, seeing blood and he threw his own punch; Steve was caught off guard and it connected with his eye.

The next two punches were in Steve's favor, but Jason managed to hit Steve in the gut followed by the jaw; Steve fell backwards, grabbing the door handle so he didn't fall.

Jason made a running tackle, barreling into Steve and the door opened, sending Steve against the corridor wall. He was ready to throw another punch, but Steve blocked it and got Jason in the eye.

A few crewmembers finally spotted them and pulled the men apart, which wasn't easy.

They took Fedderman to the infirmary, but Steve declined, opting to clean himself up. He entered his cabin and shut the door, splashing cold water on his face. The next thing he did was attempt to connect Skype, but Danny wasn't on, so that was a no-go. The next item was the phone, and he dialed Danny's number, but the voice mail picked up. He called back four times, but Danny still didn't answer. He thought about texting, but he knew Danny would just delete them without reading. Steve returned to the bathroom and did a proper clean up of his wounds. When he came out he tried Danny three more times - with the same results - and was about to call Chin when he heard the door to his quarters opening.

"I heard what happened so I brought you a present." Catherine handed him a frozen bag of peas. "Well?"

Steve placed the bag over his left eye, which was a bit swollen, the skin surrounding it already a deep purple. "Danny's going to yell at me for fighting," he groaned.

"Steve, you punched out a fellow officer, and you're more concerned that Danny will yell because you got into a fight?" 

"I promised him I'd behave," Steve said sheepishly, "and he said if I didn't, he was passwording the cable box and I wouldn't get to watch 'Game of Thrones'."

"O-kay." That confused her a bit, but she shrugged it off - for the moment. "Why did you have a fight with Fedderman anyway? I've known him for months and he's a quiet guy." Catherine was hesitant with her next statement, but threw caution to the wind. "I thought you and he were...playing cowboy when the lights went down." 

"Crass as always, Catherine," Steve laughed a little and winced from the pain in his bleeding lip, "and we nearly did, but the timing was off - Grace called the second after I pinned him to the bed. Anyway," Steve ran his fingers through his hair, "I've been avoiding him, but tonight I had just gotten Danny on Skype, when he knocked on the door. I opened it to tell him I was busy and he...." He paused and felt his cheeks growing warm.

Catherine couldn't believe her eyes - Steve McGarrett was blushing! "Out with the rest, Steve," she ordered.

Steve took a breath. "He grabbed me by the arms, pushed me against the wall and kissed me. Danny saw him, he saw Danny, and Danny made a brief remark and disconnected." 

"That was all?" Catherine raised her eyebrows, knowing there was more. "And the fistfight happened when, exactly?"

"I pushed him away, he smirked, and asked me if my 'friend' would be into a threesome." Steve's breaths deepened in anger. "He pointed to the photo of Danny in a suit and said he looked fuckable...." He paused, his upper lip curling. "I was ready to let it go, when he just **had** to add that Danny probably gave good head. That's when...that's when I popped him in the nose!" He nodded furiously, like a child involved in a playground fight. "Not that there's anything between Danny and I, but still."

"And how did you get the shiner?" 

"Lucky punch at the right angle," Steve muttered

"And you returned with a few punches of your own." She sighed quite loudly. "You are in deep shit...and so is he."

"I don't care about that." Steve actually groaned. "Danno's going to kill me."

"I give up!" Catherine growled at him. "You have to go and see the Captain, and about the only reason you're not in the brig for this is because he hasn't heard your side of it yet."

"You'll come with me, won't you?" he asked hopefully. "Friends always, remember?"

"Not this time, Popeye." She punched him in the arm. "I'll come visit you behind bars."

Steve's face faltered and he seemed to cringe, swallowing hard. 

"Oh, Steve," Catherine soothed, stroking his cheek, "I forgot about Halawa."

"It’s okay, Cath," he gave her a small smile. "Really, it is." He kicked at invisible dirt. "I want to go home; I miss my ohana."

"Translated, that means Danny," she knowingly replied.

"I love him, Catherine, and I just figured it out, while I'm in the middle of the Pacific." Steve grunted, getting to his feet. "I hate my life."

Catherine took his hand and pulled him into the corridor. "Steve, I thought...after Nick, you said that you wouldn't get involved with those on your team because it becomes a mess."

"We're not involved," Steve said firmly, "and even if we headed that way, every rule I have ever made has gotten flushed down the toilet since the day I met Danny Williams."

"Yep," she agreed, "definitely love." She put her palm up as he opened his mouth. "The Navy is my life, Steve, but it hasn't been yours since you took over Five-0."

They walked the rest of the way to the Captain's office and stopped in front of the door. "Danny won't take my calls," Steve bemoaned sadly. "Maybe he'll talk to you."

"I'll try, Steve, I promise." 

Steve entered the Captain's office, ready for his reprimand; this was not the first black mark on his record. Joe White had once said that if Steve followed orders to the letter 100% of the time he would have made full Commander, and quite possibly Rear Admiral, by now. But that had never been Steve McGarrett, who learned that if you want to stay alive, you never leave a field decision to some suit sitting behind a desk in Washington. About the only reason Steve hadn't been stripped of his rank was because of his success rate in the field.

This would make reprimand number 4 - and he was proud of each and every one. 

And in the grand scheme of things, that was nothing compared to receiving the (true) wrath of Danny Williams.

In the end Steve got off easy; at least Catherine thought so.

Fedderman was not going to press charges and both men were confined to quarters with orders from the Captain that they were not to open the adjoining door. The Captain did admit that the punishment should probably be more severe but then again Steve would have never served his time on ship anyway, so he didn't bother.

Steve attempted a few more calls to Danny, then called Chin (who was staying out of it), Kono (who just growled at him and hung up) and even Kamekona (who advised Steve he was no longer getting free shrimp). Although Danny had not been specific to their conversation, he had apparently called everyone and told them that Steve had been a jackass.

Steve had to speak with Danny; he had to explain, make things right between them. Having a broken heart was something Steve had never experienced and it was the worst feeling ever.

**~~~~~~~~**

On Tuesday Catherine finally got Danny to pick up the phone after calling him a dozen times, and after almost 20 minutes convinced him to speak with Steve. She handed Steve the phone and fled the cabin as quickly as she could.

Steve was insistent that they Skype; he needed to face Danny while he explained things.

Danny felt different. _"I'd rather not see you right now."_

"Danny, please don't do this to us." Steve was pleading; he didn't care how desperate he sounded, because damn it, he was! 

_" **Us**? There is no **us** ; there never was an **us** , and there will **NEVER** ," his voice began to rise, "be an **US**!"_

Steve could 'see' Danny on the other end, ready to end the call, and if that happened Steve wouldn't speak to him until he returned home. That was unacceptable and he knew he had to get down and dirty. "You told me you owed me for covering your ass when Matthew left, and now I'm calling in my marker."

_"You're calling in...fine, Steven, but after this, I owe you nothing."_

"Agreed, Danny."

It took a few minutes, but they were now facing each other.

 _"So talk,"_ Danny prompted, _"and make it quick."_

"Danny, what you saw...."

Danny cut him off. _"I said quickly, Steven, or this call is finished."_

"What you saw... **he** kissed **me**." Steve needed Danny to believe him. "Danny, I wasn't kissing him back, I swear it." 

Danny shook his head.

"Look at me, Danny, and you'll see I'm not lying."

Danny stared at Steve for a moment; lying to him had never been one of Steve's strong suits. 

"I HAVE NEVER LIED TO YOU, DANNY!"

That much was true, Danny realized. Steve had withheld information and told half-truths (ostensibly to "protect" him), but no, Steve had never outright lied to him. And now Danny felt guilty as it looked like the SEAL was going to have a meltdown. _"I know,"_ he answered calmly, _"and I'm sorry I didn't believe you."_ Danny pointed to the screen _"And what exactly happened to your eye?"_

"He - he asked me if you would be into a threesome." Steve began to grind his teeth. "And he said that you looked...looked...."

 _"Charming? Endearing?"_

"He said you looked fuckable and that's when I punched his lights out."

 _"What else?"_ Danny pressed his finger against the monitor. _"Talk. Now."_

"He said that you probably gave...." Steve rubbed his hands over his face. "Aww, shit, Danno, never mind what he said."

 _"Steve,"_ Danny half groaned and half sighed, _"you have aneurysm face, and you only get that look when you're not telling me the whole truth."_

Steve was hesitant, but knew he had to tell all; it was going to come out sooner or later. "I wanted him, Danny; I wanted him to...take the edge off. No attachment, no commitment, just some fucking...but I didn't."

 _"What stopped you?"_ Danny's tone allowed for no argument; he wanted the whole truth. 

"That was the day Grace called over the surfing. You said - "I know you're doing something you shouldn't be" - and...it didn't feel right after that." Steve was worried again when Danny didn't answer him; he could see Danny was deep in thought. "Danny, please say something." Danny finally raised his eyes and the blue was the opposite of the previous evening; instead of dark, they were as bright as the sky. "Danno?"

 _"You love me."_ It wasn't a question on Danny's part; it was a statement.

Steve nodded. "I do, and I didn't know it until I saw your face the other night and realized how much I missed you."

Danny started to laugh; he couldn't help it. _"And we figure this out when you're miles away doing the SEAL thing."_

"We?" Steve asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Danny nodded back to him. _"Yes, we. I think..."_ a smile spread across his face, _"...Danno loves you, too."_

"And about the college thing, I never did read your file," Steve admitted. "I was going to, but then we got involved with Sang Min and Hesse and I never followed up; I didn't feel I needed to. You had already proven yourself to me."

_"By loosening one of your molars?"_

"Among other things, Danno."

_"How long before you'll be home?"_

"Three days."

_"Three days too long, Steve; I want you back now."_

Steve understood; he wanted to be with Danny also, but that wasn't going to happen. Unless....

_"Okay, now you've got constipation face, which translates to property damage."_

"I have to go and take care of something, Danno." Steve was grinning. "But I can't tell you what."

_"All right, Super SEAL. Talk later?"_

"Oh yeah." Steve ended the call this time and with one purpose in mind he went to see the Captain.

**~~~~~~~~**

Captain William Hamilton had known Steve since he entered Annapolis and had recommended the young officer for flight training; he also suggested Steve be recruited for the SEALs. He was aware of Steve's bisexuality, had kept the secret, and always would; he had his own sexual secrets, and Steve kept those for him. 

But when Steve made his request, he said no. 

So Steve opened up to his old friend and talked about his friendship and partnership with Danny for almost an hour, and then explained what **really** happened with Jason Fedderman. Steve went on to include the conversation with Danny afterwards - (almost) all of it.

Even Hamilton was not immune to Steve's pouting and he finally gave in, said he'd clear things with the top brass, and told Steve that the SEAL owed him big time. 

Immediately after the conversation Steve returned to his quarters, called Danny on the phone, said that he had something important to take care of and he would be back in touch as soon as possible. He hung up before Danny could question him further.

**~~~~~~~~**

Steve stood on the deck in his flight suit, wondering which plane he was being assigned.

Yes, Steve had convinced the Captain to allow him to fly home to Hawaii - to Danny - in one of the F18 Super Hornet's. He was one of few who were cleared for that particular craft, and it was the fastest they had on board. 

"This way, Steve." 

Steve turned at Catherine's voice and followed her until she stopped. 

"You can use this one; just make sure you don't crash it." She pointed up and waved her arm out. 

Steve's eyes followed and he saw the name _**Catherine "Hellcat" Rollins**_ emblazoned under the cockpit.

Catherine looked quite smug. "I fly Steve, didn't you know?" 

"You are a woman of many talents, Catherine Rollins." 

"I am awesome," she cracked, "both in and out of bed."

"What's going to be your next assignment?" Steve asked her. "Enterprise is being decommissioned soon."

"I've already received an offer from the Nimitz," she smiled. "Apparently some hot-shot Naval Commander wrote me an ass-kicking introduction letter to the Captain, who insists he needs me. And of course this hot-shot neglected to tell me about it." She bit her lip, thinking it wasn't proper for an officer to cry. "I found out an hour ago."

"Be safe, Cath." Steve took her into his arms and held her close. "I love you."

Catherine kissed him on the cheek. "Love you back, McGarrett." 

Steve gave her a malicious smile. "You still enjoy playing dominatrix?"

"Steven!" Catherine opened her mouth in mock shock. "I thought it was going to be you and Danny from now on!" 

"Fedderman could use a little discipline." Steve waggled his eyebrows. "Maybe more than a little."

"I'll see what I can do." Catherine watched as he climbed into the cockpit. "It’s a shame you and Danny can't make babies; the results would be spectacular."

Steve laughed as he prepared for take-off and gave Catherine one last wave good-bye. 

Catherine was about to turn away and leave when she cast one last glance at Steve - he was saluting her. She returned the salute properly and then blew him a kiss. She would hear from him soon, she knew that, and this time she would charge him cold hard cash for any favors.

**~~~~~~~~**

It was 2:40AM Thursday when Steve landed at Pearl-Hickam; even with the extra fuel tanks aboard the Hornet he still needed a refuel (and a few hours sleep) so he rendezvoused with the USS Lincoln. And he didn't know what Captain Hamilton told Captain Alexander, but there were no questions asked and five hours later Steve was cleared for Hawaii. If the Enterprise hadn't been on a training exercise, she would have been back at Pearl sooner.

It was almost 4AM before he was cleared to leave the base and that gave him time to take a quick shower and change his clothes. When the Enterprise docked in two days they would pick up the plane. He went to the parking lot and found Catherine's car, glad she had good taste. Steve tossed his duffel in the trunk and slid behind the wheel of the Corvette. This would be almost as much fun as driving the Camaro - almost. Once he got off the base he opened her up on the highway and headed to his first stop, making a brief phone call along the way.

**~~~~~~~~**

"Hey, kiddo." Steve knelt down beside Grace's bed and brushed the hair from her face, watching her eyes flutter open. "I promised you I'd be back."

"`Anakala Steve!" Grace was wide awake now and she flung herself into his arms. "I missed you sooo much!"

"I missed you too, Gracie." Steve grinned at her and noticed her staring over his shoulder. "What?"

"Where's Danno?"

"I haven't seen him yet." Steve ruffled her hair. "I wanted to see you first."

"We missed you and thank you for all the pictures and my teacher thought they were awesome and Tommy was jealous and...."

Steve nearly got slapped as her hands moved in tandem with her words. "You are definitely your father's daughter," he mused, hugging her one last time. "Now, you've got a couple of hours more to sleep before you have to get up for school." Steve tucked her back in and kissed her forehead. "'Night, Gracie."

Grace sat up for another hug. "I'm happy you're home." 

"Me too." Steve smiled at her. "No calling Danno, okay? I want to surprise him."

"Okie-dokey," Grace snuggled under her sheet and blew him a kiss as he shut the door.

Steve faced Rachel and smiled almost shyly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome to see her at anytime, Steve." Rachel smiled, leading him downstairs and out. "We owe you more than we can ever repay."

**~~~~~~~~**

It was now 4:45AM and Danny wasn't expecting him for two more days, so he had time to make another pit stop along the way. There was no way Steve was going home to Danny empty-handed. Liliha's wasn't open yet so he was unable to serve Danny fresh malasadas, ensemadas and/or coco puffs; he had to make do with something else. The only place open was the 24/7 Sack 'N' Save, which meant Pop-Tarts; he'd buy Danny 'proper' pastries later that day.

**~~~~~~~~**

Steve finally made it home at 5:30 and knowing Danny wouldn't be up until at least seven, he changed into his board shorts and hit the waves for a while. He returned at 6:45 and took a quick shower in the downstairs bathroom. He brought in the paper and went for the sports section, and then heard the shower upstairs. Knowing Danny was now awake, Steve went upstairs and stripped, lying down on the bed. He stared at the bathroom door, willing Danny to finish; the lecture over a ten-minute shower would come at a later time. Right now Steve had other plans.

Danny came out of the shower refreshed and wide awake, and the moment he exited the bathroom he noticed three things: One, Steve was on the bed naked, one leg bent and the other spread out. Two, Steve was leering at him and licking his lips like he was hungry and Danny was dinner - all seven courses. And three, Steve was jerking off. Once he was aware of number three, Danny couldn't take his eyes from Steve's right hand wrapped around his cock - his long and thick and standing at attention cock. He wanted to say something - anything - and what came out was, "Aren't you home early?"

"I borrowed a plane." Steve sighed and twisted his wrist on an upstroke. "F18 Hornet; got me home sooner." He ran his thumb over the head and a soft, "Mmm," came from his lips.

Danny could feel his cock swelling under the towel and took a step forward then paused; he was clearly thinking. His eyes moved up and narrowed. "You borrowed a plane?" He half-laughed. "Please tell me borrowed doesn't translate, in McGarrett-Speak, to stolen; even I know the army would get kind of upset over that."

"Navy, Danny." Steve tried to sound indignant as always, but inside he felt warm; the argument was so **them**. "I'm in the fucking Navy."

"Oh God," Danny whimpered and pinched the bridge of his nose, "you stole a plane."

"I borrowed Catherine's," Steve blurted, taking his hand from his cock, "with Captain Hamilton's permission."

"Why?" Danny took another step forward. "It was only three days." 

Steve studied Danny's face, taking an extra minute to stare into his eyes. He shifted to his knees and reached out, his hands rubbing up and down Danny's biceps. "Such strength, Danny." He began to knead the taut muscles. "Why do you keep this hidden?"

"Steve?" Danny wanted his question answered.

"Because it was three days too many." Steve pulled Danny forward and in this position there was virtually no height difference. "Because I missed you." Steve licked at his lips. "Because I love you." He pressed his lips against Danny's, and then Danny's mouth opened and Steve's tongue made itself at home there.

Danny was a little surprised at the kiss; he had been expecting a brief touch of lips or maybe a little tongue. He did not expect to receive a kiss that made his head swim and made him see what appeared to be genuine stars. His vision began to blur and he was overcome with dizziness and the need for air. But Steve's lips were so soft and his tongue was making love to Danny's, and Danny didn't want it to ever stop. Steve tasted like Hawaii, like the sand and the sea - and that was such a clichéd thought....

"Why are you giggling?" Steve asked as he pulled back, catching his breath. 

"It's classified." Danny grinned at him stupidly but before he could say another word Steve's tongue had latched onto his once more, swallowing whatever words were on his lips. He felt the cool air on his body and realized his towel was now gone. Danny was ready to protest this when Steve's left hand found its way to his ass, the nails digging into his flesh; at the same time Steve's right hand fisted around his cock and began to stroke him slowly, while Steve's lips left his mouth and began to wander his body. 

The first stop was Danny's right shoulder; Steve placed a kiss upon it and his tongue licked a path to Danny's neck, where he kissed some more and moaned into Danny's skin before reaching the left shoulder. Steve bit him, just a little nip and he felt Danny's hands on his shoulders. He returned to Danny's mouth one more time, before licking his way down Danny's Adam's apple to his chest. Steve lapped at one nipple, working it with his teeth and then kissed across to the other. He moved back and forth, sucking and biting until Danny's vocabulary was reduced to moans and he was arching his hips. "Calm down, Danny." Steve soothed the now tender nipples with gentle flicks of his tongue. "Breathe easy or this will be over before it starts." Steve left kisses along Danny's abdomen, shifting himself down further. He used his thumbs to dig into Danny's hips and felt Danny's fingers digging into his shoulders to keep himself upright - Steve had apparently found a proverbial hot spot. A few more kisses and a little more shifting and his mouth was level with Danny's cock - which Steve found quite impressive. 

Reality suddenly slapped Danny in the face. "Steve, you don't have to do this."

Steve glanced up at him. "I want to." He licked the head and jerked Danny a little faster, taking half down his throat and sucking hard. His head came up and this time the tip of his tongue darted out and he pressed it against the thick and throbbing vein, teasing at it. By the time he had kissed his way back to the tip, Danny was bucking forward. Once again Steve dug his fingers into Danny's hips and held him steady while he swallowed the length. As he raised his head for a breath his teeth grazed the sensitive skin; Danny thrust forward and came. Steve wasn't expecting that and gagged a bit as it hit the back of his throat. He snapped his head away and the come splashed his face.

"Sorry...so sorry." Danny tried to step back, but Steve didn't let him go.

"Not your fault," Steve reassured him, grabbing a tissue to wipe his face. "I have to go and clean up." 

Danny felt his legs going out and swayed forward, finding himself in Steve's embrace. 

"Relax," Steve murmured. "Just lie down and I'll be back in a minute." True to his word a few minutes later Steve returned with a wet cloth and cleaned Danny. He lay down beside him, and the two faced each other, both propping a chin up with their palms. Steve's other hand began to draw patterns on Danny's bicep.

"What?" Danny asked, his free hand resting on Steve's hip.

"Will you get some ink for me? It doesn't have to be anything major and...." 

"Okay," Danny said in agreement.

"Okay?" Steve thought he heard wrong.

"Be nice or I change my mind." Danny saw a glint of something in Steve's eyes, but before he could read it he was flat on his back with a SEAL lying atop him. "Steve, what are you doing?"

Steve's answer was to kiss Danny again and this one was different than the others; it was deep, possessive and dangerous - the type of kiss that makes grey matter evaporate. 

The imminent loss of grey matter did not apply to Danny though; he had already lost his remaining brain cells. His eyes were closed and he was losing oxygen again. Steve's lips disappeared for a moment and Danny blindly sought them out, feeling Steve shift and hearing him rummaging in the nightstand drawer. Danny threaded his fingers in Steve's short hair and initiated the next kiss; he made Steve moan into his mouth. 

"JesusfuckingChrist, Danny," Steve grinned when he came up for air, "where the hell did you learn to kiss like that?"

"You inspire me," Danny sighed, "and I want more." 

Steve had no problem with that; he knew how to use his tongue, teeth and lips in tandem and he was driving Danny insane. When he tore his lips away to breathe, he buried his face in Danny's neck, panting out hot puffs of air in between kisses. "I want inside you; please say it's all right."

Danny's response was to place his palm upon Steve's chest. "Condoms," he managed to breathe out.

"Bare, Danny." 

"Okay...both clean," Danny murmured, knowing for sure they were; they had enough blood work done each time they ended up in the hospital. "Lube?" He watched Steve pick something up and realized Steve had taken a tube of lube from the drawer. "You're set with lube. That's good."

Steve heard something in Danny's tone, his voice had cracked a tiny bit; he was obviously nervous. "Danny, I'll stop in a heartbeat if you change your mind."

"I know." Danny lay down. "I want this."

Steve's next kiss was chaste and he knelt between Danny's legs. He kept his eyes locked with Danny's as he flipped open the cap and squeezed the lube into his right hand, while his left forearm hooked itself under Danny's knee and lifted a bit. One finger circled the hole, teasing at it, slipping inside with ease. Steve worked it in slowly and when Danny bore down, Steve slid a second finger in. He could have done this quicker, his cock would have appreciated it, but the whispered sounds of "Yes" and "More" along with Danny's sighs made Steve want to drag this out. He knew he was talented with his fingers and it wasn't ego - well, not completely; he'd had lovers who got off on that alone. He stretched his left hand and grabbed hold of Danny's cock, stroking lazily, circling the tip with his thumb; his other hand settled into a steady and rhythmic in and out.

Danny was thrusting up and bearing down, but Steve, the tease, was withdrawing his fingers every time Danny's ass bore down on them. "Bastard," Danny muttered, taking the opportunity to pinch one of Steve's nipples. 

Steve shoved his fingers deeply and crooked them at just the right angle...he felt his own satisfaction as Danny's eyes rolled back, his head pressed into the pillow and he moaned. He wanted to bring Danny to the edge of orgasm and hold him back; he could keep Danny at the precipice for hours if he chose to. 

"Steve...Steve, please...please...." Danny sounded like he was breaking.

Steve twisted his fingers as he slid them deep. "I'll do anything for you." Removing his fingers he wiped them on the sheet, grabbed a pillow and slid it under Danny's hips. Taking himself in hand, Steve rubbed the head against Danny's hole and pushed forward. He entered Danny at a leisurely pace, glancing up at his face and seeing bliss - that was the only word that came to his mind. He was a little surprised that Danny was not a 'talker' in bed and then he didn't care. Steve finally found himself balls deep, twisting his hips just so....

"OH GOD!"

Steve found the right spot and hit it again before easing half out, digging his nails into Danny's ass and thrusting back in. It didn't take long for Steve to find out what Danny liked; he got his best response with faster fucking.

Danny was tearing at the sheets, writhing all over, clearly wanting more, but all he did was moan Steve's name and the word "please". 

Steve hooked his right arm under Danny's left leg, spreading Danny's legs wider; it gave Steve's lower body more room to maneuver. "Fuck...fuck, Danny...so damn good." He pounded Danny so hard that the bed shook like mad and a photo fell off the nightstand. 

Danny was giving as good as he was getting; he was jerking himself hard, dripping with sweat and panting for air. 

Steve slid his arms from Danny's legs and laid them on the bed; his thrusts became almost languid. He was ready to come, he had been for a while, but he had to draw it out for just a little bit longer; he had to concentrate on giving Danny pleasure before he could completely take his own. Sliding up Steve spread out atop him, interlacing their fingers and holding Danny's arms down so he couldn't touch himself. He took full advantage of the height difference, which meant that he could kiss Danny while slow-fucking him, and if he tilted his head just so he would be at the right angle to press kisses along Danny's neck. He lapped at one spot just above the clavicle, and then sucked a patch of skin between his teeth; his intention was to leave a mark. He felt the wetness along his belly and knew Danny came. Shifting back to his knees he took Danny's ass in his palms and spread him wider, going deeper still. Steve fucked him a little harder and he met Danny's eyes and smiled - that slow and easy grin he bestowed on Danny alone. His eyes then dropped shut and he came, not letting up until there was nothing left, until he'd fucked Danny six ways to Sunday. 

"I'm dead," Danny muttered.

"I love you, too," Steve kissed him as he pulled out, cleaning them both and tossing the cloth into the bathroom. "You want pancakes?"

"I want a few minutes to regroup."

"S'okay," Steve mumbled, closing his eyes. "Me too." He was still tired and began to drift into a light sleep. 

"Was it good?" Danny asked.

Steve cracked an eye open. "The sex?"

"Yeah."

Steve opened the other eye. "Yep."

"That's all you have to say?" Danny sat up, glaring at him. "Yep?"

"Danny," Steve pulled him down and held onto him, "it wasn't good; it was beyond that." He rested his forehead against Danny's and grinned. "Next time will be even better."

"Better?" Danny returned the grin. "How so?"

"I took it easy on you, Danno, because it was your first time." Danny opened his mouth; Steve kissed him to shut him up. When he let Danny's lips go, he added, "I knew, don't ask me how; I just did. And I thought you'd be a talker in bed." Steve shrugged. 

Danny ran a finger over Steve's nipple. "I am a talker, but this was new to me; I wanted to pay attention to you, to what you were doing to me so I could return the favor."

"Return the favor?" Steve felt the yawn and tried to beat it back, but failed.

"Sleep, babe, I'm only going downstairs. I'll still be around when you wake up." He placed a kiss to Steve's temple. "Danno loves you."

"Won't leave?" Steve mumbled, already half gone. "Promise?"

"I promise."

"M'kay." Steve turned over and his breathing deepened. "Liliha's was closed; malasadas later." He was out cold after that.

Danny pulled on his sweatpants and quietly backed out of the room, picking up Steve's cell phone along the way. His partner obviously needed sleep and Danny was intent that he have it with no interruptions. It was nearly 7:45 and he had to call Chin and Kono and tell them he was declaring a day off. He walked downstairs, put up a pot of coffee and called Chin.

Chin didn't mind as Malia was off also and they could spend it together; Malia took the phone, thanked Danny and quickly hung up. 

"Newlyweds." Danny smiled to himself and looked upstairs. "Gee whiz, Detective Danno, isn't that what you and Steve are? Unofficially at least?" He called Kono next, got Charlie on the phone who advised him Kono was in the shower and that he now felt a sick day coming on. Danny let him know he'd have Steve call later and that at least saved him a long and drawn out conversation with Kono about him and Steve, which would lead to innuendoes which Danny would have to explain were no longer innuendoes. Of course when Chin and Kono came by tomorrow (and Danny knew they would) it would be obvious. He wasn't going to hide from anybody. He stood there as the coffee brewed, happy when it finally finished. As he poured a mug he had a brief thought that maybe he was jumping the gun.

No, there was no doubt in his mind that Steve loved him, but maybe Steve didn't want to be open about them. Even with the repeal of DADT things could happen; if the navy disapproved they could reactivate him and ship him off to Godknowswherestan. He took his mug to the table and smiled again; yes, Liliha's was closed, so Steve bought him the next best thing - Frosted Cherry Pop-Tarts. "It's the thought that counts," Danny said to himself, "even though I prefer strawberry." He opened a package and was about to bite into one when Steve's phone went off. Wondering who could have the ringtone of "Dirty Deeds", Danny glanced at the caller ID and laughed when he saw 'Cath' come up. He hit the accept button and immediately said, "Holy shit, the bastard stole the plane, didn't he?"

_"No, he borrowed it, and good morning to you too, Danny."_

"Thank any and all deities," Danny sighed. "And thank you, Lieutenant Rollins, for loaning him the plane."

_"I take it the sex was good?"_

"Goodbye, Catherine." Danny was about to end the call when he heard her calling his name. "Yes, Catherine?"

_"We still love each other Danny, but we were never in love. I hope you know that."_

"I do."

_"And tell Steve that I straightened Jason Fedderman out; he's requested to go with me to the Nimitz."_

Danny huffed. "You straightened things out with...."

 _"No, Danny,"_ she sounded exasperated, _"I **straightened** him out. Steve will explain it to you."_ She hung up before he could question it.

Danny made a mental note to ask Steve, brought the Pop-Tart to his mouth again and his own phone rang. He rolled his eyes at Grace's latest ringtone choice for herself - "Catch A Wave". This call he answered with a slightly worried, "Is everything okay, monkey?" 

_"Yeah, it's cool, Danno."_ Grace sounded extra happy. _"Mom dropped me off early but I have about 15 minutes, and I wanted to say hi to Steve and...."_

"Whoa, Grace, slow down. How did you know Steve was here?"

_"He came to see me this morning; didn't he tell you?"_

"He came to see you?" Danny asked, clearly surprised.

 _"Uh-huh,"_ Grace replied with a laugh, _"'cause he missed me."_

"I just bet he did, sweetie, and I'll pick you up from school later, okay?"

_"Will you bring Steve?"_

"Somebody has to drive." Danny blew her a kiss. "Now get to class."

_"Aye-Aye, Danno."_

The call ended and Danny was feeling...mushy. 

Steve had gone to see Grace first. Steve had flown home for him. Steve had bought him Pop-Tarts. Steve had kissed him and licked him and bit him and...bit. The Pop-Tart dropped from his hand and he stood, going to the mirror. He stared at the base of his neck and saw the dark purple bruise. "He gave me a damn hickey." Danny couldn't help the small chuckle that bubbled forth; he was actually pleased about the mark and where it was located. "So much for not wanting people to know about us." As he traced the mark with his fingertips his dick got an idea of it's own. "Oh no you don't; Steve needs sleep," he warned his nether region. He returned to the kitchen and ate two Pop-Tarts, finished his coffee, peered into the refrigerator and pantry and decided that a shopping trip was in order if they wanted to eat. Danny was quiet as he went back up to get dressed, but when he sat on the bed to put on his sneakers, his arm was grabbed.

"Don't go, Danno."

"Hey, didn't I order you to sleep?" Danny stared into two bleary eyes. "Gonna do a little shopping, get a tune-up and I'll wake you up when I get back." 

"Buy pineapple," Steve murmured as his eyes shut.

"I don't love you that much, McGarrett." He realized Steve didn't hear him; the SEAL was asleep again. And for some reason, ranting about his hatred of pineapple wasn't so much fun without Steve answering him. 

Oh yeah, he was definitely in love.

**~~~~~~~~**

Danny returned at noon with numerous bags of groceries, including, yes, two pineapples. Okay, so maybe he didn't **really** hate it, but he would never admit that out loud. He had also done some thinking, and more thinking, until his brain was going to explode and once he finished putting the food away he went upstairs. Danny undressed, pulling the sheet from Steve's body, taking a breath and moving onto the bed. 

Steve had heard Danny come back into the house, but was still in that half-awake, half-asleep state where you're not sure if you're dreaming or not. He felt the breeze on his body and figured he had to still be dreaming, because Danny was pushing his legs apart and kneeling between them. And then Steve was moaning as Danny's tongue left a wet trail along his cock.

Danny sensed that Steve was awake and raised his head. He met Steve's eyes, smirked and said, "Good morning, Commander McGarrett; this is your wake-up call."

"Okay, not asleep then." Steve reached down and stroked Danny's hair. "I thought you'd never done this before?"

"I haven't, but I paid attention to you, to what you did to me, and Steve," Danny swirled his tongue around the tip of Steve's cock, "I've always been a very apt pupil." He blew cool breath across the head, feeling Steve's fingers tangle in his hair. "I want to at least **try** to give you a blow-job before I fuck you stupid."

Steve snickered, half to himself. "Nothing wrong with your ego, is there?" 

"I haven't had any complaints about sex yet and I don't intend to start with you." Danny suckled the head, drawing out those first drops of precome; the taste was strange but not unbearable.

And of course Steve was focused on Danny and didn't miss the uncertainty on his face. "Danny...." He was playing with Danny's hair again, almost petting him. "In real life, not everybody can perform the act of oral sex on a man."

"You make it sound so clinical." Danny wrapped his fist around the length and jerked with slow movements, the palm of his other hand massaging the head. "And I'm sure as hell going to try."

Steve started to fuck Danny's fist, his hips lifting off the bed. "How do you - fuck that's good - know what to do?"

"Just doing to you what I like done to me." Danny brought a hand to Steve's balls, fondling them gently. "Steve, do you have a thing for my hair?"

"No gel, Danny; it's soft and thick and...yeah, I think I do have a 'thing' for your hair." 

"If you're a good boy I'll let you wash it sometime." Danny clearly heard the whimper from his partner. "You want to wash my hair, babe?"

"Yespleaseplease," Steve said with one sharp breath. "I love the scent of pomegranates."

"You know my shampoo?"

"I didn't...didn't know I was paying attention." What Steve **was** paying attention to was Danny's mouth, which was slowly making its way over his cock. He was watching closely and as Danny moved down he thrust up. "D-Danny...God that's good." He wasn't thinking and pushed Danny's head further down, holding him there, lost in the warmth and wetness that was Danny's mouth. He almost missed Danny pushing against him, trying to raise his head, but when he caught on he pulled Danny up, hearing him gasping for air. "Sorry...didn't realize...."

Danny took a few breaths, nodding to reassure Steve he was okay.

"We'll practice...the art of blow-jobs." Steve brought one leg up and around Danny's waist. "Now, how about you fuck me?"

"What?" Danny looked shell-shocked. "Huh?"

Steve slapped the tube into Danny's hand and noticed the confusion. "You look...bewildered."

"You want to..." Danny paused, searching for the right words, "...bottom for me?" He was waving the tube about so Steve grabbed it.

Steve flipped the cap and anointed his fingers, reaching for Danny's cock. "Yes." He slicked Danny's cock and entwined their fingers. "You think you can do this, Danny? Because it's okay if you can't."

Danny didn't speak; he just brought his hand down and eased one finger inside Steve. Steve was tight at first, but quickly relaxed his body; it took Danny a moment to notice he now had two fingers gliding in and out.

"C'mon, Danny, do it." Steve arched his lower body and raised his ass higher; this was definitely beyond good. His left leg rose up and criss-crossed with the right, holding Danny between his legs. "I want you."

Despite his bravado, Danny was now unsure of what to do. His fingers seemed to have found a rhythm of their own, which was a good thing; his cock however was growing soft as his nervousness took point. 

"Danny - Danny fuck me." Steve tightened his hold, drawing Danny closer. "Please."

"I can't." Danny pried Steve's legs away. He was half-tempted to bolt, but found himself flat on his back as Steve pushed him down. 

"Yes you can." Steve licked his palm and took Danny's cock in his fist. "You have the prettiest cock I've ever seen." Steve lapped at it, ignoring the lube, and blew hot breath on it. His cheeks hollowed out as he swallowed the length, his nails scraping along Danny's inner thighs. He raised his mouth halfway and slid down again, taking breaths in through his nose; he didn't want to stop.

Danny's hips began to move on their own, fucking Steve's mouth. His cock was swelling, but Steve still didn't let up, taking it into the back of his throat and moaning around the length. Danny was going wild with need, his fingers in Steve's hair, so desperate for more; his cock was as hard as it was going to get. And then Steve's mouth was gone and Danny saw him shifting position, sitting astride his hips and holding Danny's cock. "Steve?" Danny wondered what Steve was going to do; he got his answer a moment later when Steve lifted up and shifted back, taking Danny's cock inside. 

Steve smiled down at him, sucking his lower lip between his teeth as he sunk lower; his eyes dropped shut and he murmured Danny's name, followed by a moan. Once he was settled, he swayed back and forth atop Danny's cock, his hands caressing Danny's chest as he pulled himself up and slid down. "Danny...oh God...you...so good...harder...fuck, go deeper...." He tweaked Danny's nipples and rode faster, sitting up and using Danny's legs to leverage himself up and down. On one rather vicious screw down, he eyed Danny like a feral animal in heat. "FUCK ME!" 

Danny **finally** got with the program - every inhibition he ever had disappeared in a split second. His hands took hold of Steve's hips, thrusting up with all the strength he could find. He was gritting his teeth, grunting out meaningless sounds and pounding into Steve's ass.

"DANNY!" 

Danny felt the come on his chest, spurting out onto his chin, his cheeks and his mouth. And holy shit! Steve shot his load without being touched; he'd made Steve come just by fucking him. He came with a soft sigh and his nails digging into Steve's hips. It took him a moment to get it together and he grinned at Steve like a witless fool. "That...that was...."

"I thought you were a talker," Steve teased, clenching his ass and shifting his legs; he held Danny inside as he laid down, dragging Danny atop him. "But all you did was grunt."

"I didn't just grunt." Danny tried to get up but Steve pulled him back. "I distinctly remember a couple of moans."

Steve just gave him another mind-blowing, oxygen-depriving kiss. "I want to do it again, Danny." 

Danny moved slow and slid out. "I am down for the count, babe." He licked his lips, feeling a little more daring. "You are delicious; I wonder how you'd taste in chocolate syrup."

Steve rose up on his elbows and went for another kiss. "I have Hershey's."

"Another time, you pervert." Danny met Steve's lips and took control of the kiss, but as Steve pulled their bodies close again he felt the come being smeared into his chest. "Steve, you're making us all icky."

"Icky?" Steve nodded and rolled Danny off of him. "If you say so, Danno."

"I do say so." Danny sat up and forced himself to stand, walking to the bathroom. He cleaned himself up and when he came out, Steve was lying across the bed with his arm under his head. Danny tossed a cloth to him and picked up his clothes. 

Steve grabbed Danny's shorts from his hands. "Danny, please stay."

"I'm not...Steve, why are you afraid I'm going to leave? Earlier you made me promise I wouldn't, then you said 'don't go' and now...." Danny could have sworn he was reading Steve's expression wrong. "What are you afraid of?"

"You...women," Steve whispered, almost too soft for Danny to hear.

"You're scared I'm going to meet a woman, decide I'm straight and leave you for her?" Danny watched Steve's eyes grow wide as saucers. "Yes, Steven, I can put all your faces into words and may I say you're an idiot?"

"It happens." Steve seemed positive of that. "You suddenly decide that this was just some sort of experiment and then you'll meet a woman, date her, marry her, move somewhere far away, have 2.6 children and a cat, and I'll be...." He stopped and averted his eyes. 

"You've been watching those Lifetime movies with Kono again, haven't you? Didn't Chin and I warn you two about that?" Danny made a fist and shook it in Steve's face. "I am so tempted to blacken your other eye." He rolled his eyes. "I told you I loved you, Steve, and those are not words I take lightly."

Steve chewed on his lower lip, suddenly looking innocent and he mumbled something.

"Did you just say something about my shampoo?" Danny prompted. 

"Switch to pineapple-scented shampoo."

"No." Danny snatched his shorts back and put them on. "Just...no."

"Please, Danno?" Steve was pouting. "It'll make me happy."

"That face doesn't work on me so give it up."

Steve watched Danny put his shirt on. "You're leaving."

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am." Danny nodded to him. "And maybe, if you'd drag your ass off the bed, we could go pick up Grace together. She called while you were asleep and told me you, uh, saw her this morning."

"I had to Danno; I missed her so much and I knew you'd be asleep and I didn't think you'd mind and...."

"STEVE!" Danny started to laugh. "You're babbling like Grace!"

Steve knelt on the bed and blew in his ear. "Danny, she doesn't get out until 2; it's only 12:40." He was sliding his cock against Danny's lower back. "Let me blow you again."

Danny shifted from under Steve's arms, stood up, faced him and framed Steve's face with his fingers. "I thought we'd get her early, babe."

"Okay." Steve went to his dresser, taking out his own shorts and a tee, putting them on and looking Danny over. He slid his arms around Danny's waist, pulling their bodies flush up. "You're finally Kama`aina."

"Chin called me the same thing," Danny smiled thoughtfully, "and I had to look it up."

"He was right; you're an adopted son of Hawaii."

"That's not the exact definition, Steve; it means...."

"I know what it means, Danno - native or long time resident, to put it roughly - but no matter which definition, it is you." Steve rested his head atop Danny's. "Hawaii is your home now, and to make sure you get settled, I shall gather all the forces at my disposal and you will be officially moved in to your new apartment." He looked around. "Where's my cell?"

"I took it downstairs while you were asleep."

"I'll start with Kamekona, who has three brothers and happens to like you."

"No, Steve," Danny pushed out of his arms, "we can't."

"Why not? Trust me, Danno, he's not going to want anything from you, except maybe Grace helping him create new flavors of shave ice."

"It's not that." Danny shook his head. "I was apartment-sitting for Amy's brother, who's been working in Texas. He's coming home in a few days."

"Then you still have no place to live?" Steve grinned and pulled Danny back into his arms. "That's great!"

"What?!" Danny tried to get loose again, but this time Steve held him tighter. "Why are you so happy about that?"

"Because now there's no reason for you not to move in with me." Steve leaned down. "We'll get all your stuff moved out of storage and in here." His lips made a meal of Danny's mouth, backing him to the bed. 

Danny scooted under Steve's arms again, backing up. "I love you, I'll move in with you, I'll...I'll even use shampoo that smells like hala kahiki." He pulled his sneakers on. "But Steven - love of my life, bane of my existence - there is no way my dick can go again."

"Okay, Danno," Steve replied as he slid his feet into his flip-flops. "I give...for now."

Once they got outside Danny tossed the car keys to Steve. "You're driving."

"You're **letting** me drive, Danno?"

"Yeah, well...yeah." Danny got into the passenger side and snickered as he watched Steve try to get into the driver's seat. "Oh, do you have to change things?"

Steve pushed the seat back, tilted the steering column, adjusted the side and rear-view mirrors and started the engine. He turned on the radio, looked nauseous at the 80s sounds coming out and switched to the Metal station.

Danny didn't know if Steve actually knew half, if any, of those bands, or if he cranked it up just to give his partner a headache. 

Once they hit the highway Steve kept glancing at him, the speedometer edging higher, and Danny didn't say a word. "Danno?"

"I'm happy as a passenger for now; don't spoil it."

Steve just took Danny's hand in his and squeezed it, catching Danny's smile out of the corner of his eye.

He was home now and he had Danny; life was good and it could only get better.

**FIN**


End file.
